Shahi paneer is a preparation of
paneer
Paneer (), also known as ponir () is a fresh acid-set cheese common in the Indian subcontinent (Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan and Sri Lanka) made from full-fat buffalo milk or cow milk. It is a non-aged, non-melting soft ...
, native to the
Indian subcontinent
The Indian subcontinent is a list of the physiographic regions of the world, physiographical region in United Nations geoscheme for Asia#Southern Asia, Southern Asia. It is situated on the Indian Plate, projecting southwards into the Indian O ...
, consisting of a thick gravy of cream, tomatoes and
Indian spices
Indian spices include a variety of spices grown across the Indian subcontinent (a sub-region of South Asia). With different climates in different parts of the country, India produces a variety of spices, many of which are native to the subconti ...
.
Originating with the creamy delicacies of
Mughlai cuisine
Mughlai cuisine consists of dishes developed in the medieval Indo-Persian cultural centres of the Mughal Empire. It represents a combination of cuisine of the Indian subcontinent with the cooking styles and recipes of Central Asian and Islami ...
(hence the term "''shahi''", in reference to the royal title of
Shahanshah
Shah (; fa, شاه, , ) is a royal title that was historically used by the leading figures of Iranian monarchies.Yarshater, EhsaPersia or Iran, Persian or Farsi, ''Iranian Studies'', vol. XXII no. 1 (1989) It was also used by a variety of ...
in
Mughal India), this dish is prepared by emulsifying tomatoes, onions, ground cashews, clarified butter and cream into a curry, with the addition of paneer cubes and a variety of spices.
It is mainly eaten with traditional Indian flat-breads like
roti
Roti (also known as chapati) is a round flatbread native to the Indian subcontinent. It is popular in India, Sri Lanka, Pakistan, Nepal, Bangladesh, Maldives, Myanmar, Malaysia, Indonesia, Singapore, Thailand, Guyana, Suriname, Jamaica, Trinid ...
or
naan
Naan ( fa, نان, nān, ur, , ps, نان, ug, نان, hi, नान, bn, নান) is a leavened, oven-baked or tawa-fried flatbread which is found in the cuisines mainly of Western Asia, Central Asia, Indian subcontinent, Indonesia, Ma ...
, rice and bread. ''Paneer'' is derived from the Persian word for cheese, and ''shahi'' is the term for royal (in reference to the
Imperial Court of the Mughal Empire).
Similar dishes include paneer butter masala and Kadai paneer. The subtle difference between paneer butter masala and shahi paneer is that more of whole spices are used in paneer butter masala, whereas shahi paneer has a sweeter taste when compared to paneer butter masala.
See also
*
Paneer makhani
Paneer makhani (also called paneer butter masala) is a slightly sweet Indian dish of paneer, originating in New Delhi, in which the gravy is prepared usually with butter (''makhan''), tomatoes and cashews. Spices such as red chili powder and gara ...
*
List of Indian dishes
This is a list of Indian dishes. Many of the dishes on this list are made all across India. Indian cuisine encompasses a wide variety of regional cuisine native to India. Given the range of diversity in soil type, climate and occupations, these ...
*
Mughlai cuisine
Mughlai cuisine consists of dishes developed in the medieval Indo-Persian cultural centres of the Mughal Empire. It represents a combination of cuisine of the Indian subcontinent with the cooking styles and recipes of Central Asian and Islami ...
References
{{Portal bar, India, Pakistan, Food
Indian cheese dishes
North Indian cuisine
Punjabi cuisine
Mughlai cuisine
Vegetarian dishes of India